Rhys Bennett interview: Man Utd defender's pain at loss of father David and why we should not struggle alone | Football News | Sky Sports

"Even if someone's having the best time of their life and everything's going well, it's still worth checking in on them." Image:Rhys Bennett pictured with his father David Rhys Bennett is a local lad who led and captained his side to FA Youth Cup success for Manchester United just a few years ago. But the young defender's career was brought to an abrupt halt earlier this year when his father, David, tragically took his own life. Here, speaking to Sky Sports News' Danyal Khan, the 22-year-old tells his story, opening up on grief and urging others not to struggle alone. These are his words as he remembers his dad, reflects on managing the feeling of loss and after previous loan spells, considers what's next in his footballing journey. -- I can never feel like I did that day when I found out. Managing the feeling of loss To be honest, being truthful, the first two, three days... I'm not really an emotional person to be honest, but they are the worst feelings I've ever had in my life. Then a week passes, two weeks pass, and you look at it like: I can never feel that bad again. I can never feel like I did that day when I found out. So everything from there is just like, say that's down there, well, even if you might be here, at least you're not down there. So then it gives you that reason to go, 'no, no, this can't get the better of me'. It just gives you more of a purpose and a focus that you can overcome it, because you've overcome this and you've come out the other end. You accept that some days you're going to think about it. I think to be honest, considering the circumstances, I'm doing okay. I'm cracking on. I have a lot of positive distractions, not that I disregard it but I've got a lot of purpose in my life and I'm lucky to be in the situation that I'm in. I'm lucky to have the family around me that I do. It's such a cliché thing to say, but I would not be where I am today without him and my family. It's impossible at six, seven, eight years old to drive yourself to training or make certain times and stuff like that. You have to rely on them to get you through that part. When you're young, all you want to do is get old. You get to 18 and all you want to do is drive and then you want to do this and that. I've said it before but you have such a different outlook on life when things like this have happened because there's nothing that can prepare you for it. But you become more grateful and you become more humble, and stuff that you might have looked down your nose at and thought that's just part of everyday life, it kind of rises up to your eye...

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